The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technical report numbered TR 23.799 and entitled “Study on Architecture for Next Generation System,” version 1.0.0, September 2016 (hereinafter referred to as TR 23.799), represents one approach to the design of a system architecture for next generation mobile networks, also referred to as 5th generation (5G) networks. Section 6.4 of this document considers potential solutions to the key issue of session management in such networks. Subsection 6.4.11 of the same document considers a user plane (UP) protocol model involving per node-level tunneling, proposed as a solution for supporting session management. In particular, a common tunnel is provided for all traffic between each relevant pair of network functions. However, the proposals outlined in TR 23.799 are subject to development and improvement.
Furthermore, network operators serve various sets of demands for different types of user equipment (UE) accessing different services. It is expected that future networks will require increasing flexibility to accommodate an increasing number of devices, types of devices and services. In current LTE networks, user plane traffic flows between an eNodeB (eNB), service gateway (SGW) and packet (PGW).
GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) is an internet protocol/user datagram protocol (IP/UDP)-based protocol that can be used to carry tunnel-specific signaling traffic between Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) core networks. GTP protocols enable user equipment (UE) mobility by maintaining a constant IP address or tunnel through which user packets are transmitted regardless of UE location. Multiple tunnels between virtual network endpoints can be specified through GTP protocols to customize services available to the same UE or subscriber.
GTP-U is a simple IP-based form of GTP protocol which enables user traffic to be transmitted across tunnels selected from multiple available tunnels between virtual network endpoints. In LTE, user IP-encapsulated packets are transmitted in an uplink path tunnel along the evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (eUTRAN) control plane to the evolved NodeB (eNodeB) base station. At the eNodeB, packets are appended with a UDP header specifying a Tunnel Endpoint Identifier (TEID), which specifies which user plane (UP) tunnel within the virtual network packets will be forwarded through depending on the service required. A similar process of encapsulating and transmitting user packets along TEID-defined tunnels between virtual network endpoints can also be employed along a downlink tunnel path that terminates at an eNodeB base station. However, as the number of devices and services offered increases, a more flexible approach is needed.
Therefore there is a need for a method and apparatus for efficiently transmitting data in wireless communication networks such as proposed 5G networks, in which per node-level tunneling is involved, that obviates or mitigates one or more limitations of the prior art.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.